Special Sessions

Special Sessions Applications

Below you will find answers to FAQs .

MEETING THEME: Techquity in Action: Advancing Fairness and Access through Biomedical Innovation 

Submission Details

Special Session submissions must include one organizer, a minimum of one session chair, and a minimum of one speaker.  

• Organizer:  The organizer writes the proposal for the special session, selects and confirms the participation of the session chair and session speakers, and submits the proposal to BMES by the due date (March 14, 2025). 

• Session Chair:  The special session chair fills the same role as the chair of any regular technical program platform session. The session organizer may serve as the session chair. They briefly introduce the session and each speaker, keep track of time, and moderate the panel (if a panel is part of the special session), and manage the questions and answers portion of the session after each talk. 

• Speakers:  The speakers for the special sessions typically fill the same role as any regular platform speaker at BMES, and present separate presentations during the session. 

IMPORTANT: Do not submit your special session proposal until you have confirmed the participation of the session chair and speakers. Do not wait to find out if the special session has been accepted before obtaining confirmation.

All special session presenters (organizer, session chair(s), speakers) are required to register for the conference at the registration rate.  BMES does not cover the conference registration fee or waive conference registration for Special Session presenters.

BMES does not provide food or beverages for Special Sessions. If food and/or beverages are requested, the costs must be covered by the organizer.  

Timeline 

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, March 14, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET 

NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE: Monday, April 14, 2025 

PARTICIPANTS (ORGANIZER, SESSION CHAIR(S), SPEAKER(S)) REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Friday, August 1, 2025

Submission Presenter & Format Requirements

• A Special Session request must be submitted by a BMES member, committee, or special interest group in good standing or an affiliate with a current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or partnership agreement with BMES. There is a $100 fee for accepted special sessions submitted by a non-member or organizations unaffiliated with BMES and these submissions will be considered only if space permits. 

• A completed Special Session request form must be submitted by Friday, March 14, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET to be considered. 

• A Special Session must be in one of the format categories from the list below. 

• Each submission must include one organizer, at least one session chair (two max), and at least one speaker. 

• If accepted, participating organizers and speakers must register to attend the meeting in person. Please note that BMES does not provide funding to cover meeting registration, travel expenses, or hotel accommodations for an organizer, session chairs, or speakers participating in a Special Session. 

• All Special Session proposals should be submitted via the abstract portal website and include the required information indicated below. 

Session Title (20 words max): The title (no more than 20 words) will be published in the conference program 

Special Session Program Description (300 words max): Provide an abstract of no more than 300 words for the session program describing the session. 

You may select topic areas such as: 

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Medicine 
• Regulatory Science and Medical Device Development 
• Telemedicine and Remote Monitoring Technologies 
• Healthcare Informatics 
• Wearable Technology and Bioelectronics 
• Pharmaceutical
• Clinical
• Environmental and Biomedical

Organizer: Provide name, affiliation, and full contact information of organizer 

Session Chair(s): Provide name, affiliation, and full contact information of the proposed session chair(s). 

Speakers: Provide name, affiliation, and full contact information of speakers. 

Presentation titles: Presentation titles for each speaker. 

Proposed length of the session: 45 minutes or 90 minutes 

Category and structure for the session: What is your preferred structure (Committee Meeting and Special Interest (SIG) meeting/event, Non-Technical Lecture and Panel Discussion, Symposium, Awards and Social Event, or Pre-Conference Workshop) and why and outline each speaker with their time duration. 

Preferred day for the session:  

• Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday for committee meeting and special interest (SIG) meeting/event, non-technical lecture and panel discussion, symposium, and awards and social event 

• Wednesday for pre-conference workshops 

Preferred time of day: morning or afternoon.

Requests and preferences will be taken into account but are not guaranteed. 

IMPORTANT: Do not submit your special session proposal until you have confirmed the participation of the proposed session chair and speakers. Do not wait to find out if the special session has been accepted before obtaining confirmation. 

All special session presenters (organizer, session chair(s), speaker(s)) are required to register for the conference at the registration rate.  BMES does not cover the conference registration fee or waive conference registration for Special Session presenters. 

Criteria and Considerations

There are a number of things to consider in a special session proposal: 

• Premise and Motivation – Consider why a special session is appropriate and what the overall theme is meant to convey. What is the key issue? Why have it at BMES, and what makes it timely? Why the special session format? Also, be sure to bring out uniqueness of the topic.

• Relevance –  Proposals need to be relevant, well-developed, and provide a clear scientific or social impact to facilitate an engaging program. Sometimes, two or more Special Sessions can be combined and presented as one theme. 

• Topic and Speakers – Topic should be of significant importance to the technical audience at this time. The speakers need to convey compelling information about the topic, and it must be of high value to the attendees. 

• Speakers and Structure – Who are the invited speakers? What are the title, the length and the topic of each talk? Speakers should be confirmed in advance before making the proposal. They should know and agree with the theme of the session. What ties the speakers together into the overall theme, and what is the order of the talks?  

• Session Chair – The chair of a special session and the organizer(s) can be different. The session chair will have to be present at the session, while organizer participation is not mandatory. 
• Organizer, Session Chair(s) and Speakers – The chair of a Sspecial Ssession and the organizer(s) can be different. The session chair will have to be present at the session, while organizer participation is not mandatory. Session Chair(s) and Speakers must commit to presenting in-person in San Diego. Speakers should be topic-relevant and from diverse backgrounds (e.g., industry, clinicians, international, etc.).
  

Before you Submit 

• Any submission that fits within an existing meeting track will not be accepted and MUST BE submitted as a General Abstract (opening February), Late-Breaking Abstract (opening August 1), or Undergraduate Abstract (opening August 1) submission or discussed directly with track chairs. 

• Special Session rooms will be set for theater seating and equipped with standard AV. (Standard AV includes a PC-compatible computer with a USB port and PowerPoint along with an LCD projector, screen, and a lectern with a microphone.) Special Sessions do not include food and beverages and are not covered by BMES. If food and beverages are requested, the costs must be covered by the organizer. 

• Committee meetings will be scheduled for 60-minutes. Accepted Special Session Symposiums and Pre-Conference Workshops will be scheduled on Tuesday, October 7. All other accepted special sessions will be scheduled for one of the following slots on Thursday (October 9), Friday (October 10), or Saturday (October 11): 
  • 90-minutes in the morning
  • 45-minutes in the morning
  • 90-minutes in the afternoon
  • 45-minutes in the afternoon 

 The Annual Meeting Co-Chairs will review all proposals and, if necessary, seek the counsel of the National Meetings Committee, BMES Executive Committee, and/or full Board of Directors. Meeting Co-Chairs and staff will determine the date and time for approved special sessions based on availability. Requests and preferences will be taken into account but are not guaranteed.